Demographics of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is a land filled with beauty and warmth that brings forth a fusion of ethnicities and cultures which flourish side by side. This paradise island is not only bountiful in its cultures, but also presents a vibrant history to match.

Located only a mere 28 kilometres away from India by sea across the Palk Strait, this paradise land is a not only culturally vibrant, but also an ethnically diverse nation.

The following includes information with regard to the demography of Sri Lanka as of the year 2008.

Official Name	Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Śri Lanka Prajatantrika Samajavadi Janarajaya (Sinhala) Ilangai Jananayaka Socialisa Kudiarasu (Tamil)
Total Population	21,128,772
Age Structure	0-14 years: 24.1% (male 2,596,463/female 2,495,136) 15-64 years: 68% (male 7,019,446/female 7,340,809) 65 years and over: 7.9% (male 783,823/female 893,096)
Median Age	total: 30.4 years male: 29.5 years female: 31.4 years
Population Growth Rate	0.943%
Net Migration Rate	1.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population
Nationality	noun: Sri Lankan(s) adjective: Sri Lankan
Ethnic Groups	Sinhalese 73.9% Sri Lankan Tamil 12.75% Sri Lankan Moors 7% Indian Tamil 5.52% Malay 0.32% Burgher 0.27% Other 0.19%
Religions	Buddhist 69.1% Muslim 7.6% Hindu 7.1% Christian 6.2% Unspecified 10%
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 90.7% male: 92.3% female: 89.1%
Labour Force	7,598,762
Labour Force Participation Rate	51.2%
Unemployment Rate	6.5%
Language	Sinhala (Indo-European) – Official Language Tamil (Dravidian) English Sri Lankan Creole Malay
Monetary Unit	Sri Lankan Ruppee (LKR)

Source/Reference : Department of Census and Statistics, Sri Lanka